BREAKING: Iran Suspends Negotiations with U.S. says Iranian Media

Iran's latest decision to suspend indirect negotiations with the United States marks yet another reminder of a central truth about the Islamic Republic. It has never viewed diplomacy as a process of compromise. Rather, it treats negotiations as an extension of conflict by other means, a venue in which leverage is accumulated, demands are expanded, and concessions are expected from others rather than offered by itself.

On Monday, Iran announced that it was halting all exchanges with Washington conducted through mediators. The move, reported by the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency, was justified on the grounds of what Tehran described as Israel's "continuing crimes" in Lebanon.

"Considering that Lebanon was one of the preconditions for the ceasefire and that this ceasefire has now been violated on all fronts, including Lebanon, the Iranian negotiating team is suspending dialogues and exchange of texts through mediators," Tasnim reported.

In a separate statement, the agency raised the stakes considerably.

"Furthermore, Iran and the Axis of Resistance have resolved to pursue the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz and activate other fronts, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait, as part of efforts to punish Israel and its supporters," Tasnim said in a separate post on X.

Tehran has also demanded the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, adding yet another condition to an already fragile diplomatic process.

Whether this suspension represents a temporary pause or a more comprehensive breakdown in communications remains unclear. Yet the broader significance is unmistakable. Iran is not narrowing the field of dispute. It is widening it.

The Islamic Republic has once again escalated its demands while simultaneously portraying itself as the aggrieved party. What began as negotiations concerning the ceasefire and the future of the conflict has now expanded into an attempt to hold Washington directly accountable for every Israeli military action in Lebanon. Tehran's position is that American influence over Israel must be exercised according to Iranian expectations before meaningful talks can resume.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made that point explicitly on Monday.

"Its violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The US and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation," Araghchi wrote on X.

Likewise, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the parliament speaker and lead negotiator, accused the United States of violating the ceasefire through its continued blockade of Iranian ports and by failing to restrain Israeli operations in Lebanon.

Behind these statements lies the enduring reality of Iran's regional strategy. The so-called Axis of Resistance is not a spontaneous coalition of like-minded movements. It is a network painstakingly constructed over decades by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Quds Force. From Hezbollah in Lebanon to Hamas in Gaza, from the Houthis in Yemen to Shia militias in Iraq, these organizations serve as instruments of Iranian influence and power projection throughout the region.

The current conflict traces its origins to the US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, strikes that reportedly resulted in the death of Ali Khamenei. Hezbollah's subsequent missile attacks against Israel transformed an already dangerous confrontation into a wider regional conflict.

A ceasefire between the United States and Iran took effect on April 8, with Pakistan acting as the principal mediator. A separate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon followed on April 16. Yet Iran has consistently argued that these agreements are inseparable, insisting that Israeli military actions in Lebanon constitute violations of the broader Iran-US truce.

What effect this latest development will have on negotiations remains uncertain.

The talks have covered issues of enormous strategic consequence, including the future of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles, sanctions relief, and the framework for a permanent settlement. Both sides had reportedly been working toward a 60-day memorandum that would extend the ceasefire and create space for further nuclear discussions.

According to reports, draft provisions included the reopening of Hormuz to unrestricted shipping, the removal of Iranian naval mines within thirty days, proportional easing of the American blockade, and sanctions waivers permitting Iran to resume oil sales.

The agreement was said to be awaiting final approval from both US President Donald Trump and Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

Trump projected confidence early Monday.

"Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the USA and those that are with us," he wrote. "Just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end, it always does."

Yet optimism has repeatedly collided with reality. Only last week Trump warned that Iran needed to finalize an agreement or "we'll have to finish the job," after the White House rejected reports of a draft accord as a "complete fabrication." The president has previously estimated the ceasefire's chances of survival at only one percent.

That skepticism appears increasingly justified.

The truce has been tested repeatedly through military incidents and competing narratives. The United States and Iran continue to offer conflicting accounts of engagements in the Persian Gulf, including strikes near Bandar Abbas, disputes involving drones and tankers, and claims surrounding an Iranian retaliatory attack on a US airbase.

The broader lesson is difficult to ignore. Every ceasefire in the Middle East creates a brief window in which diplomacy might succeed. Yet such agreements endure only when all parties accept that compromise is preferable to escalation. Iran's latest actions suggest that, at least for now, Tehran believes pressure and confrontation remain more useful tools than peace.

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U.S., Iran Keep Trading Punches While Negotiators Pretend a Peace Deal Is Right Around the Corner

One of the more exhausting traditions in modern geopolitics is watching hostile nations lob missiles at each other while diplomats simultaneously assure everyone that a breakthrough is just days away. This weekend, the United States and Iran kept that tradition alive and well.

The latest round of Middle East fireworks saw American forces strike Iranian air-defense radar installations and drone facilities, while Iran answered by launching missiles and drones toward Kuwait. Apparently, "de-escalation" means something very different in that part of the world.

The fighting comes as negotiators continue trying to hammer out a deal that would supposedly bring an end to the conflict. President Trump had indicated before the weekend that an agreement was within reach. Unfortunately, the people actually negotiating the deal keep pointing out that minor details, such as Iran's nuclear commitments and the timing of sanctions relief, remain unresolved. In diplomatic circles, those are what experts refer to as "the important parts."

According to U.S. Central Command, American warplanes struck Iranian radar sites and drone command-and-control facilities on Qeshm Island and in Gorik, both located in Hormozgan province. The military said the operation followed Iran's shoot-down of an American MQ-1 drone.

American forces also intercepted and destroyed two Iranian attack drones that were deemed threats to commercial shipping. Given Iran's long-standing interest in making life miserable for anyone trying to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, that assessment wasn't exactly difficult to make.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps quickly announced that it had responded to the American attacks. The Guard Corps, which serves as both the regime's military enforcer and its favorite tool for projecting power throughout the region, portrayed its actions as defensive.

Kuwait, meanwhile, found itself once again caught in the middle. The country reported missile and drone attacks Monday as warning alarms echoed across the nation. U.S. Central Command said American defenses intercepted two Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at U.S. forces stationed there.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman insisted the attacks were a defensive response to American operations. That's a familiar talking point from regimes that routinely define "defense" as launching missiles at their neighbors.

The latest exchange is particularly concerning for Kuwait, which suffered heavily during the broader conflict and has continued to absorb attacks even after the ceasefire that technically took effect in early April. The ceasefire has held about as effectively as most ceasefires involving Iran.

The Revolutionary Guard also claimed responsibility for shooting down an MQ-1 drone Sunday after it allegedly entered Iranian territorial waters. Whether that incident was a provocation, a misunderstanding, or simply another excuse for escalation depends entirely on which government spokesman is talking.

Behind the scenes, negotiators are reportedly discussing a memorandum of understanding that would reopen access through the Strait of Hormuz, extend the ceasefire, and create a renewable 60-day window to address Iran's nuclear program and sanctions relief. In theory, it would provide both sides with enough breathing room to end the conflict.

Not everyone is convinced.

American foreign-policy hawks and Israeli officials remain deeply skeptical of any agreement that eases pressure on Tehran without forcing significant concessions. Their concern is straightforward: Iran appears weaker than it has been in years, and they fear a rushed agreement could hand the regime economic relief while leaving its nuclear ambitions largely intact.

Trump weighed in Monday on social media, saying Iran wants to reach an agreement but complaining that criticism of the deal inside the United States is making that harder to accomplish.

That may be true. Then again, when missiles are still flying and drones are still falling out of the sky, it's understandable that some people might want to see the fine print before celebrating the arrival of peace.

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Iran's intelligence minister not intelligent enough to duck and is eliminated in overnight strike

Well, as the saying goes, another one bites the dust. Iran's senior intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, apparently wasn't intelligent enough to know that Israel had his location and he was blown to little bitesize pieces in an overnight strike Wednesday, Israel reports.

Esmail [his friends called him "Email"] is the third senior Iranian honcho in 24 hours to not pass "Go" and has now collected his 72 virgin goats.

If his death is confirmed, his ticket to Jannah would come after that of Ali Jarijani, the head of the supreme national security apparatus, and the commander of the Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani.

Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, who reported Khatib had been killed, said he and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had authorized the IDF to kill any other senior Iranian official being targeted, without the need for additional approval, thus releasing the dogs of war with shock and awe.

“On this day, significant surprises are expected across all arenas that will escalate the war we are conducting against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon,” Katz said during a security assessment. “The intensity of the strikes in Iran is increasing.”

The US-Israeli war on the Iranian regime has now entered its third week, with at least 2,000 people reported killed, not including the vast number of Iranian citizens that have been slaughtered by the IRGC. 

However, it looks as if there might be an end in sight as the IRGC is in total disarray and some members are deserting their positions. Some have even disavowed the regime and come over to the side of the Iranian people.

Meanwhile, US forces hit Iran's anti-shi[ missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, dropping 2.5 ton bunker-buster bombs, according to CENTCOM.

The Strait of Hormuz is the world's major oil choke point and the strikes over Iran's hold of the shipping lane has grown due to Iran's threats to oil tankers.

"Hours ago, U.S. forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM posted Tuesday evening on X.

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Blinken visited Israel then reveals $135,000,000 in US aid [aka Hamas funding] for "Gaza"

When Israel sent Gaza over 14,000 trucks carrying aid, including more than 9,000 tons of humanitarian supplies such as food, water, gas, shelter equipment and medical supplies, just since October 1, 2024, Hamas was often getting first dibs on the supplies and it had been reported that they were selling supplies to the people of Gaza. We've all seen video in the past where Gazans were held at gunpoint while Hamas terrorists stole the aid they were given.

And of course we all saw how the Hamassholes commandeered the tractor trailer trucks, got on their roofs and took over. But still the U.S. continued to send Gaza aid, thinking it would help the citizens of Gaza and not Hamas.

Or so they tell us.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Thursday that the U.S. will naively send another $135,000,000 in aid he hopes will go to where it is intended: war-torn Gaza, where in 2006 44.45% of the people there voted for Hamas, most others voted for Fatah. Since then, Hamas has remained in power.

Meanwhile, there are still homeless U.S. veterans not being given aid.

Blinken spoke in Qatar on his 11th visit to the region since the outbreak of the war in Gaza last year, sparked by the October 7 massacre of Israeli babies, children, women, and men.

Washington has urged Israel to increase humanitarian aid into the war-torn Palestinian territories, although Israel has noted that these supplies are frequently hijacked by armed Hamas militants. These militants are also known to assault Palestinian civilians attempting to reach the aid.

In Qatar, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to discuss strategies for the release of hostages and to seek an end to the conflict in Gaza, according to the U.S. State Department.

After concluding a two-day visit in Israel, Blinken is now focusing on fostering a ceasefire, especially in light of Israel's recent operation against Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. He has traveled to Qatar to gauge Hamas's position on a potential truce.

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Israel Under Attack by Iran: latest information

On Saturday night into early Sunday morning, Israel was the target of over 350 Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-fired weapons. These weapons included rockets, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), and special missiles such as Cruise missiles.

The initial estimated totals of some of these weapons are 185 UAVs., 36 Cruise missiles, and 110 ballistic missiles. However, the number of weapons has grown and some of Israel's defense systems were tested for the first time under real fire.

Zero UAVs and Cruise missiles reached Israel while a handful of ballistic missiles did, injuring a 7-year-old girl and damaging an IAF base in Negev. The child is in the hospital in intensive care and the attack on the air base did not cause operations on the base to stop.

Due to the distance between Iran and Israel, it takes about two hours for a UAV to reach the Jewish State as they are slow moving and when spotted, sitting suicide ducks. Most were destroyed over Jordan, Iraq, and Syria, by the U.S., Israeli, UK, French and Saudi Arabia.

Iran has switched to a deadlier drone known as the Sahab 238, replacing the 136 model used by the Russians against Ukraine. The 238 is faster but it turned out to be no match for Israel's newest air defense systems known as David's Sling and Arrow. Both systems were tested in combat for the first time and did a great job of dashing Iran's hopes of killing Jews.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said of the attack by Iran, "We intercepted; we stopped it, we will win."

Israel's war cabinet will be meeting to discuss future plans in the war.

President Biden called for a G7 conference call to discuss whatever his handler tells him to discuss and will be written out for him on official White House index cards. The nations include, UK, U.S., France, Japan, Germany, Italy, and even Canada, eh.

While it may surprise some that Jordan and the Saudis helped Israel in the attack by Iran, both Turkey and Qatar asked for restraint by the Shi'a nation. 

Am Yisrael Chai!

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Uh oh, the Houthis vow revenge and proportionate response after US, UK strike again in Yemen

Following the Sunday U.S. and U.K. airstrike in Yemen, the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists, aka Ansar Allah, have vowed 'escalation' hopefully in the form of a proportionate response, like that of President Biden, so that things don't get out of hand and cause a war.

Although the U.S. and U.K. sent fighter jets and B1 bombers to destroy Houthi targets, the terror group does not have the same air power and proportionate responses will be hard to accomplish. They do, however, have small, domestically-manufactured drones, they like to call "Qasef" drones. These little babies have been used by the Houthis [and the Blowfish] in attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia's military bases, airports, and oil facilities.

A Houthi spokes terrorist vowed to keep up the good fight and plans will remain in place to disrupt regional trade, "no matter the sacrifices it costs us." Because all good terrorists go to Jannah, collect 72 virgins and get to drink along the shores of rivers of wine.

"The US-British coalition’s bombing of a number of Yemeni provinces will not change our position, and we affirm that our military operations against Israel will continue until the crimes of genocide in Gaza are stopped and the siege on its residents is lifted, no matter the sacrifices it costs us," Houthi spokesman Mohammed al-Bukhaiti bravely tweeted.

"Our war is moral, and if we had not intervened to support the oppressed in Gaza, humanity would not have existed among humans. The American-British aggression against Yemen will not go unanswered, and we will meet escalation with escalation," he added.

Since the pond scum killed three of our soldiers in Jordan, tensions have been very high. It is believed that President Biden may have said something about an ongoing response but it was difficult to make out his words. He mumbled something about targeting Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria then attempted to find his way offstage.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who is gay, also refused to rule out the possibility of carrying out strikes within Iran in the near future on Sunday because he doesn't want to start any trouble.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah are also high and could lead to another front in Israel's current war against the Hamassholes that the latter started on October 7.  The Jewish State made it clear that if push came to shove, they would not hesitate to invade in order to protect themselves.

"We do not choose war as our first priority, but we are certainly prepared," IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said. "We will continue to act wherever Hezbollah is present, we will continue to act wherever it is required in the Middle East. What is true for Lebanon is true for Syria, and is true for other more distant places." 

He added: "The Holocaust was real, but the Jews aren't so easy to f*** with anymore."

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Canada pulls diplomats' families over mystery illness

Cuba -- Sky News reports that Canada pulled the families of their diplomats from the Cuban embassy due to a mysterious illness that affects the brain. The embassy will be designated an unaccompanied post now that diplomats will have to live there alone.

The Havana post now mirrors those in Iraq and Afghanistan as being too dangerous for families of diplomats.

Canadian officials will also consider bringing up to 15 staff home if they are not considered crucial to the diplomatic mission.

Ten Canadians, including children, have been affected by the illness. The symptoms noted are headaches, nose bleeds, short-term memory loss, hearing loss, nausea and dizziness.

Canadian researchers discovered that some of those affected heard a "novel localized sound at the onset of symptoms in their homes or hotel rooms," usually described as "intensely loud, and with a pure and sustained tonality."

Twenty-four diplomats have also been affected, beginning in 2016. Canada decided to cut its Havana staffing by two-thirds in October, due to the problem.

Former secretary of state Rex Tillerson called the attacks, at the time, "targeted attacks."

Canadian officials said there haven't been any incidents since 2017 but families who have returned to our frozen neighbors to the north continue to suffer symptoms, sometimes improving before their symptoms return once more.

The cause is unknown but initial suggestions by American experts  of a sonic attack or psychosomatic causes have been deemed unlikely. Air and water have also been tested with negative results.

University of Michigan computer scientists believe the symptoms may be due to eavesdropping devices and the ultrasonic distortion they produce, which can be harmful.

Global Affairs Canada said medical specialists who examined the sufferers had "raised concerns for a new type of a possible acquired brain injury." The added: "Additional research is needed to better understand this. The cause remains unknown  but could be human-made."

No tourists have fallen ill and Canadian officials believe Cuba is safe for holiday visitors.

The Cuban government claims it doesn't know the cause of the illness and has been working with the U.S. and Canadian officials to look into the matter.



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Iran: "We will not ask the West: 'Infidels, may I'"

Screen grab: Fox News

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, in a defiant message to President Trump, said that Iran will seek "no one's permission" to build missiles. 

He then went on to say that "The strengthening of the capability of the Iranian armed forces . . . is only for defending the country and we will ask no one's permission to build up the armed forces, and to build missiles and aircraft." 

This is what is known as 'taqiyya' or 'religious deception' in the language of Islam. It is the systematic lying to the infidel and should be considered an integral part of Islamic tactics. A good example is the statement that "Islam is a religion of peace."

The actual root meaning of the word 'taqiyya' is:  to remain faithful, but in effect means "dissimulation." Quranic authority (3:28 and 16:106) allows Muslims to conform outwardly to the demands of non-Islamic government, while internally "remaining faithful" to whatever the Muslim conceives to be proper Islam as he waits for Muslims to gain in strength and are able to fight the infidel. 

Even Mohammad said "War is deceit;"  Rouhani knows this. In fact, taqiyya has its origins in Shi'a Islam, although it's practiced by non-Shi'a too.

Rouhani added that Iran never had "aggressive aims, but peace is not a one-way road and if we decide to be peaceful the other party . . . may not. So there is a need for vigilance."

When Rouhani retires, he could get a job on a farm as a manure spreader.

Chants of "Death to America!" "Death to Israel!" are not a road to peace. But when the Twelfth Imam (aka Muslim messiah; aka Imam Zaman) returns, there will be peace, Shi'a Muslims believe.

An article in the Daily Caller (March 16) by Reza Kahlili, says that a leading Iranian ayatollah, [Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani] stated that the "Islamic messiah 'will behead Western leaders.'"

Iran's leaders want to speed up the return of Imam Zaman so that in the end of times, there will be peace in the world.

Of course there will be--no life .  .  .  no sounds .  .  .  just peace.

Credit: Time Magazine

On a happier note, Rouhani is facing reelection and needs to show the voters that he's willing to go up against the West because of the criticism he received saying he was too willing to appease the world after the Tehran deal to curb nuclear power in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.

On a less happier note, the man running against him is likely to be Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a Holocaust denier and staunch hater of Christians, Israel, Jews, the U.S., the West, gays, lesbians and puppies.


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French ISIS recruiter journeys to meet his virgins

Rachid Kassim, a notorious French ISIS jihadist has reportedly been blown to smithereens in a U.S. coalition drone strike in Mosul on Wednesday, according to French media.

Kassim, a mere 29-years-old, became one of the most recognized faces of international ISIS recruits, particularly for his recruiting activities on social media.

It is believed by the French that Kassim recruited the scumcrumpets who killed a vicar at the Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy Church last summer. He may have also recruited three women in a foiled plan to attack Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris last September.

Last July, after the Nice terror attack, Kassim made a cameo appearance in an ISIS beheading video in which he threatened French President Francois Hollande. The French President was not amused.

DGSE, the French intelligence agency, is assessing the results of the drone strike after U.S. intelligence authorities provided the information about the strike.

There are 72 brown-eyed virgins awaiting the results. Unfortunately for Kassim, they consist of livestock.


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North Korea fires a dud . . . this time

Washington -- The latest missile launch by North Korea ended in failure after the projectile exploded soon after it was launched, according to South Korea and the U.S.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the military believes Kim Jong-un's regime unsuccessfully tried to fire a mid-range Musudan missile but the darn thing didn't go very far before it exploded in a fiery ball.

The launch was made in the North Pyongan province near an airport. South Korea strongly condemns the launch just like we do, and we said so. It violates the U.N. Security Council resolutions than bans all ballistic activities by North Korea.

The U.S. reported the launch screwup at 11:33 p.m. EDT on Friday (12:03 p.m. Saturday local time) and said the missile didn't pose a threat to North America, but it really pissed us off. As usual, we condemned it in the strongest possible terms, which scared the bejeezus out of Kim and his crew.

"We strongly condemn this and North Korea's other recent missile tests, which violate U.N. Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology," Commander Gary Ross, a Pentagon spokesman said. He added that the U.S. would bring this up at the U.N. and yadda yadda yadda.

Then Ross added: "Our commitment to the defense of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, is ironclad. We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies from any attack or provocation." 

And we will continue to complain and sometimes threaten in hopes that you will one day take us seriously again and be nice.

North Korea claims it has made technical gains in developing a long-range nuclear missile capable of reaching the U.S. and blowing us up. South Korea defense officials say the North is just kidding and they don't yet have the technical know how.

We will wait and see, I suppose.


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DEFCON alert updated to level 3 due to Russian nuclear threat

The US has upped our defense readiness condition (DEFCON) alert to level 3 as the Russian threat to the nation goes 'beyond Cold War.' DEFCON is our military alert system to indicate the risk of nuclear war.

The lowest (normal) state of readiness is a 5. At our current level, the U.S. Air Force is ready to scramble in 15 minutes.

The DEFCON conspiracy theory website claims that although there isn't an imminent nuclear threat against us, the situation is considered "fluid and can change rapidly."

The website bases its warning on "current affairs" and reports: "Tensions between Russia and the United States have reached levels beyond the cold war in the recent week. The situation between Russia and the United States is extremely fluid at the moment. In all likelihood as dynamic as at times during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

"At this time, the DEFCON Warning System feels that an increase to DEFCON 3 would be a prudent move."

Meanwhile, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are talking about scandals.


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Iran accepts invite to Vienna waltz

Boots not exactly on the ground

If past calculations reflect today's cost, it will take $5 billion to send 50 U.S. ground troops to Syria for the war against ISIS, aka Islamic State (although they aren't Islamic if you believe Obama, who denies he is too). However, it likely will not cost the taxpayer that much to send in the troops, but it isn't going to be cheap.

The U.S. disclosed plans Friday to station fewer than 50 soldiers in northern Syria to serve as advisers to groups fighting the militants. They will suggest such things as "Shoot him, that guy over there," and "Now that you pulled the pin, throw the damn thing."

Washington announced the mini-operation force just before 17 nations, the European Union and the UN called for a nationwide truce in the Syrian civil war at talks in Vienna. This was attended for the first time since the start of the conflict in 2011 by Iran, the BFF of Bashar Assad.

In a rare pretense of diplomatic progress, Iran implied it would support a six-month political transition period in Syria followed by elections to decide if Assad stays or goes. Those opposed to the chinless scumcrumpet rejected the idea of an election believing it is a trick to keep him in power. 

Gee, I cannot imagine why those opposed to a brutal dictator would think he would rig an election.

Fun Fact: nobody is currently certain which rebel groups are terrorists and which should be included in the political process. Coin flip to follow.

Josh Earnest, who rarely is, said the special forces' mission would be to "train, advise and assist" local groups. "I think if we were envisioning a combat operation, we probably would be contemplating more than 50 troops on the ground," Earnest added.

Ironically, in spite of the fact that this is not a combat operation, the troops will be armed and dangerous, and politicians like Earnest will earnestly avoid hanging out in Syria.

I do not remember any other administration who had played with words in such a schizophrenic way as the Obama administration.


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Obama's latest non-strategy in Syria

There's a word the military uses that describes what's going on in Syria between the United States, Russia, Assad and the moderate rebels we support. I cannot use that word here because it isn't fit for kids and people with verbal sensitivity, but I will go half way and say that what's going on in Syria is a cluster****

The Russians are pretending to be attacking ISIS but are basically going after the rebels who are fighting Assad, while the U.S. is now using fighter jets to go after ISIS.

But now both U.S. and Russian jets are flying close enough to each other to count their counterpart's nose-hairs at relative speeds that would dazzle Formula One drivers.

U.S. Army Colonel Steve Warren said that he believes the U.S. and Russia need to talk immediately about safety protocols for these air incidents. It is simply too dangerous for both sides to be flying in the same battle-space.

I believe Obama needs to immediately have an internal conversation about what our strategy needs to be with Russia, who are killing people we support and supporting a dictator we want out of power.

Rainbow balls

Instead of actually helping the rebels  on the ground, on Sunday, U.S. aircraft dropped small arms and ammunition to those fighting ISIS. It's kind of like supplying a tennis player with balls and a racket to help him win against a better player.

This airdrop illustrates Obama's newest approach in Syria where, instead of trying to build up a new rebel force in Syria, it will supply the balls for the game.

Just wish Obama had more balls.


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